First U.S. drone strike under new Pakistan prime minister kills seven

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan A U.S. drone strike killed seven people and wounded three in northwest Pakistan late on Friday, security officials said, in the first such attack since the swearing-in of Nawaz Sharif as prime minister this week.

In his inaugural address to parliament, Sharif called for an immediate end to U.S. drone strikes on militants, which many view as a breach of Pakistan's sovereignty.

The bombing comes 10 days after a similar U.S. drone attack killed the Pakistani Taliban's second-in-command, Wali-ur-Rehman, and six others in a major blow to the militant group.

President Barack Obama said last month the United States would scale back drone strikes, only using them when a threat was "continuing and imminent".

Friday's attack was on a compound near the Afghan border in North Waziristan region, 45 km (25 miles) west of the regional capital Miranshah. At least two missiles were fired from the unmanned aircraft and the death toll could rise, the sources said.

Drone casualties are difficult to verify. Foreign journalists must have permission from the military to visit the Pashtun tribal areas along the Afghan border. Taliban fighters often seal off the sites of drone strikes immediately.

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